William t



(No Model.) T

W. T. BROWNE.

SWITCHING ATTACHMENT FOR $TREET CARS.

No. 245,273. Patented Aug. 9,1881.

Infleniur:

Wii 11 E 5 5 E5 5 PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM T. BROWNE, OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA.

SWITCHING ATTACHMENT FOR STREET-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 245,273, dated August9, 1881.

Application filed December 13, 1880.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, \VILLIAH T. BROWNE, ofStockton, county of San Joaquin, in the State of California, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Switching Attachmentsfor Street-Oars; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

My invention relates to an attachment to street-cars, by means of whicha car can be switched from a main track to a branch or side trackwithout using a movable switch-rail and without stopping or arrestingthe motion of the car. Instead of employing a movable switch-rail, Imake it permanent and stationary, leaving sufficient space between itsend and the tread of the main rail for the flanges of the car-wheels topass through, where it is desired to run the car directly forward on themain track and avoid the switch. For switching the car I employ a fenderor crowdingwheel, which is attached to the car in advance and a littleinside of the car-wheel on the outer side of the curve. Ordinarily thisfender or crowdin g-wheel is drawn up far enough toward the bottom ofthe car to clear the track or rails; but in approaching the switch it isdepressed so as to come in contact with the inner side of theswitch-rail before the front wheel of the car reaches the'end of theswitchrail. The pressure of this fender or crowdingwheel against theinner side of the permanent switch-rail will then, as the car movesforward, crowd the front end of the car in the direction of the curve,so that when the flanges of the car-wheels arrive at the switch theywill be far enough away from the main rail to take inside of theswitch-rail, all as hereinafter more fully described.

I am aware that fenders or crowding-wheels upon a vertically-movingspindle or shaft connected to the end of the car are old, and do nottherefore claim, broadly, such construction.

The invention consistsin the special arrangement and construction of thedevice, as illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter described.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation ofthe front of a (No model.)

car-platform with my improvement applied to it. Fig. 2 is a front view.Fig. 3 is a plan or top view. In these views the attachment is raised oroutof action. Figs. 4 and 5 are side and front views, respectively, ofthe attachment in working position to switch the car to theswitch-track.

Let A A represent the rails of a main track, and B B the rails of a sidetrack leading therefrom.

The switch-rail B, which extends across the main track and forms theoutside rail of the curve, I make permanent and stationary, leavingsufficient space between its end and the rail of the main track for theflanges of the wheels to pass through when the car moves past the sidingon the main track.

Upon each car I mounta fender or crowdingwheel,]), which can be drawn upby the driver under the car, so as to keep it up clear of the track andground, or be forced down into contact with the track. The wheel D issecured on the lower end of a vertical bar or shaft, F, which passes upthrough a hole in the car-floor G on the platform of the car and withineasy reach of the drivers foot. A spring, 6, keeps the bar raised whenthe crowding-wheel is not in use, so that the wheel D on its lower endwill not touch the ground or track. The lower end of the bar F is bentat an angle inward toward the middle line of the car, and a journal isformed on this angular end.

The wheel D is made conicalin form, and it is secured upon this angularjournal so that the lower portion of its conical face is vertical. Thiswheel also stands in an oblique position with reference to the middleline of the car, the amount of obliquity being governed by the radius ofthe curve. This bar, with its fender or crowding-wheel, is placed inadvance of the car-wheel that travels on the outer rail of the curve, sothat when it is depressed its vertical lower face will strike the insideface of the switch-rail B before the car-wheel reaches thejunction oftheswitch and main rail. The pressure of this wheel against the insideof the switch-rail will force the front end'of the car to follow theline of the switch as the car moves forward, so that when the car-wheelreaches the end of the switch-rail B it will take that rail and followthe curve,thus switching the car from the main track to the branch orside track. The fender or crowding-wheel is lowered into contact withthe switch-rail by the pressure of the foot of the driver, and as soonas the car has been shifted to the branch track it is released and thespring draws it up clear of the track and ground.

The headf of the bar F is serrated upon its upper side in order toprevent the slipping of a plate, H, when brought in contact with saidhead. This plate is pivoted to the floor G of the car, so that it can beswung sidewisc or laterally, so that when the bar F is depressed tobring the wheel D in contact with the side of the rail the end of theplate can be swung around over the serrated head, and thus prevent thespring 6 from forcing the bar up, the plate holding the wheel D againstthe rail.

\Vhen it is desired to raise the wheel D, which is done automatically bythe action of the spring 6, the plate H is swung around so as todisengage it from the headf.

Where a car is compelled to switch in both I directions in traveling thelength of the track it must be provided with one of these fenders orcrowding-wheels on-each side; and if the car does not turn around, butmaintains its position in traveling both ways, a fender orcrowding-wheel must be provided at each end.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, 1s

A switching attachment for street-cars,consisting of the verticalspindle or bar F,having head f and spring 0, and the conicalcrowdingwheel D, secured to the lower end of the bar, so that the lowerportion of its conical face will be vertical, in combination with tvoted plate H, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WVILLIAM TRAVIS BROWNE.

Witnesses:

EUGENE LEHE, WM. F. CLARK.

